Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Also, yes I know there were some 'separate' program policies applicable to the search unit that you are required to agree to before getting the code but I stupidly just said to myself, 'yeah yeah for sure, no problem' (been with Adsense for over 3 years) and checked that box without actually reading the policies. Now I can't find that page again.
"I don't think you can modify it."
Can you point to something specific in the Adsense program policies that supports this? If you can't modify the search box, no problem. But I just want to be sure.
Can I modify the AdSense for search code to comply with W3C HTML and XHTML standards?In general, as specified in our program policies, we don't permit modifications to the AdSense code; however we do allow specific modifications that allow our AdSense for search code to comply with W3C HTML and XHTML standards.
Here are the changes that you'll need to make in order for your code to be compliant:
1. Remove the closing </input> and </image> tags
2. Add an additional closing '/' to the end of the opening html tags for <input> and <image>. This should occur for all 'image' and 'input' tags.For example, this is an unmodified portion of the AdSense for search code:
<img src="http://www.google.com/logos/Logo_25wht.gif" border="0" alt="Google" align="middle"></img></a>
<input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1"></input>This is what the modified version would look like:
<img src="http://www.google.com/logos/Logo_25wht.gif" border="0" alt="Google" align="middle" /></a>
<input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1" />Please be sure to modify the search code only as described above, since our program policies do not allow any additional modifications.
Can't get much clearer than that. Search the help docs for modify adsense for search.
input, textarea, select {
font-family: Arial;
font-size: 12px;
color: #ff0000;
background-color: #000000;
}
EDIT: typo
I think you're misreading the highlighted section of the Adsense polices. You're reading it as:
"Please be sure to modify the search BOX only as described above, since our program policies do not allow any additional modifications."
If it said that then yes I would agree that customizing the search box using CSS would not be permitted. But note carefully that it does not refer to modifying the search BOX but rather the search CODE.
Hence:
"Please be sure to modify the search CODE only as described above, since our program policies do not allow any additional modifications."
...has a complete different meaning.
[edited by: littlegiant at 5:05 pm (utc) on Aug. 5, 2008]
If you get a reply from Google post it so everyone knows please.
Yes, it would be interesting to know what answer the OP gets.
But... even if the support staff that answers the OPs question says it's ok for the OP to make this change, that doesn't mean the permission would apply to all publishers.
Anyone who wants to change anything outside the "basic" deal should ask support themselves for permission to be sure.
And then hope that the next support person who looks at the site agrees.
Better to stick with the basics in my opinion.
And yes I will most definitely post their reply here (although if I recall correctly, we're not permitted to post Adsense Support replies verbatim here so I'll have to paraphrase it a little).
What I was told was basically as long as I didn't mess with the code, the Google branding, or the targeting of the ads, it was permissible to alter the cosmetic appearance of the button and/or box. That means I have to keep the Google in either the background of the box or the button itself.
HOWEVER, my email very specifically stated that this permission was granted only to me and was not to be considered transferable to any other publisher.
So I guess if you want to do it, you should write and get specific permission, and keep the email in perpetuity just in case.
A little off topic but I'm wondering if a moderator would care to comment on exactly why excerpts of emails are strictly forbidden here on WebmasterWorld? Sometimes being able to post an excerpt would clear up a LOT of confusion. Especially in matters like this.
I might also add that granting special permission on a case by case basis is a very labor intensive approach (and un-Google-like) when you come to think of it. All it's going to do --especially now that it's public that you've apparently been granted special permission-- is spawn a bunch of 'me too' emails sent to Adsense support coming from anyone stumbling across this thread looking also to customize their search box. It doesn't really make sense. What is allowed for one should be allowed for all. That's what rules and regulations are for.
